Dismantling the patriarchy…one drink at a time!

Setting the Green Bar

We LUPEC broads love to cocktail for a cause, so whenever we’re out and about and know our bar is doing their part to go green we feel pretty good stumbling home.

the perfect cocktail garnish plucked from your windowsil.

Kudos to some of our favorites (as mentioned in this week’s Dig), who have been doing it so long it’s old hat by now — yet still awesome. The staff at Toro in the South End has their bases covered, actively reducing their carbon footprint every day. Our favorite angle? They source locally grown and sustainably raised ingredients whenever possible, reducing the “food miles” ingredients must travel from the farm to our kitchen to your plate, and use virtually all parts of the animal being served whenever possible, harking back to rural traditions of reduced waste and delicious thrift. Additionally, all take-out products are made from biodegradable materials, all glass is recycled, biodegradable waste is composted, and an in-house water filtration system supplies guests who yearn for “Sparkling or Still.”

Christopher’s, Cambridge Common, Lizard Lounge, Toad and West Side Lounge in Cambridge use Save That Stuff for recycling and send compost to Brick Ends Farm in Hamilton. How did they get started? Owner Holly Helsop told us “It was one of our goals when we opened Christopher’s in 1981, and it’s grown from there. So we began recycling, installed an in-house water purification system (eliminating the need for bottled water)… from the very beginning.” Are patrons surprised/curious/delighted when they find out about the initiatives? Yes, however, since they “never intended to use our commitment as a ‘draw’ we haven’t really done too much in the way of publicizing what we do. We would do it anyway.” *swoon!*

Owners Bob & Mary Jo Sargent of Flora have been committed to supporting local/organic farmers for nearly two decades. Their wine list contains several biodynamic and organic wines. They even save wine corks for crafts people and local home-based wine makers — resourceful, no?